GLOUCESTERSHIRE Police are appealing for witnesses following a robbery in Gloucester.

A 72-year-old woman alighted from a bus in Chatcombe Road at 3.40pm on Wednesday, January 28 when a man began walking behind her.

The man then grabbed her handbag and when she resisted he continued to tug the bag towards him with such force that the woman fell over injuring her hands and knees.

The bag is described as a black canvas shopping bag with three zip compartments.

It contained two black purses, black mittens with fur cuffs, a green spectacle case containing a pair of glasses, a silk Paisley patterned scarf, a Samsung mobile phone, a bus pass, a British Home Stores gift card, a TSB Building Society book, 5 packets of Woodbine cigarettes plus cash in mixed note denominations and coinage.

The man is described as white with a thin face. He's aged in his late teens or early twenties and was wearing a dark coloured top.

Police would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the robbery or has any further information. Please call 101 quoting Incident Number 252 of January 28.